[[undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] [undecipherable]] Fort Pickering, 19^th December 1796. Sir Enclosed is a duplicate of my letter to you of the [undecipherable] instant. I have since paid to Ensign McBall eight months pay for all the troops in this State, from the first of January to the thirty first of August inclusively — and as it is probable the troops will be soon removed from this post to the Oconee, I have also paid to him the notes for the detachment which will be left here, and for [undecipherable] as late [undecipherable] & [undecipherable], for the months of September & October — this measure will save him a journey to the lower country, when the pay shall be received there for these months. Please to observe I have deducted Capt. [undecipherable]'s pay, except for the month of January, which the law allowed here, he will be paid at your office. As you may be desirous of knowing the state of W^m McBall's account for the last [undecipherable] payments I have enclosed a memorandum thereof & his vouchers from N^o 73 to 82 inclusively — Those for the money which was [undecipherable] last July, to [undecipherable: probable reading Fort Fidius] to pay the Field & Staff, [undecipherable] the Artillery company, and for the Subsistence, have not all been received, as there are some signatures wanting to complete — he has, however, noted the whole amount in this Statement, which, I suppose, has by this time been paid — they shall be forwarded as soon as they come to hands. Shaw. I have, Sir, received from Col^o Pope a list of the militia muster and payrolls which have been lodged with him, enclosed is a copy thereof: these troops have all been authorized by the President of the United States, except N^o 5 & 6, unless they are to be considered as parts of the Hundred Infantry, who were to be called into Service this year — I suppose this to be the case — I should have paid the authorized rolls, if they had been presented in time — I shall do it as soon as I can see Colonel Pope: the stoppages he has made from the [undecipherable], and the money I have on hand will, I imagine, be sufficient. I request you would submit the list to the Secretary of War, in order that the money may be replaced. I would, Sir, thank you to inform me whether the officers of the militia cavalry are allowed pay for more than one horse? Capt. Girardeau has charged two on his payroll — I have allowed but one in the estimate I have transmitted to you. I shall go to Fort S^t [undecipherable: probable reading Tammany] the next day after to morrow — from thence to Savannah where I expect to see Colonel Pope, and to forward you a Statement of his Account. I am with great esteem Sir Your humble Servant And Freeman [signature] William Simmons Esq^r A.D.W. P.S. I should now send you the rolls, but the gentleman who takes this letter to Savannah will not have room for them in his portmanteau — you shall receive them by the [underline: first] conveyance. C.F.